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Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Sprinkles Don't Rain Down on Baseball

I can't let a couple sprinkles rain down on my baseball game. I got a game to shoot and nothing is gonna stop me from getting the images I need. Well, if it were lightning and thunder I might at least hide up in the press box or something. Tuesday I covered Chico State against Concordia University under a dark sky. I generally don't mind cloud cover. It brings better lighting for the players. The shadows at Nettleton Stadium are atrocious. I just can't wait for Outlaws this summer...heh...yeah? These clouds did bring a cold wind and little sprinkle during the game.

Chico State's Bryan Willson (left) attempt to catch the ball to make a play against Concordia University's Pete Lemone (right) who slides safely into second base in the top of the first inning during their baseball game Tuesday, April 7, 2009 at CSUC Nettleton Stadium in Chico, CA. (Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

Some sports play through any weather. While that sounds exciting, it might be more exciting from the comfort of being a fan sitting on a comfortable couch with a pizza in hand. When I have to work out in the cold, it is a very different story. Baseball is different. The weather can bring rain delays. Baseball players generally don't do well is harsh weather conditions. This isn't a bash against baseball players. I don't think anyone would be safe throwing a 90 mph hard ball with a slippery grip on a surface that you would be sliding around like you were on the Ice Capades.

Fans holds their umbrellas as rain sprinkles on Chico State's Bryan Willson at bat against Concordia University in the bottom of the second inning during their baseball game Tuesday. (Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

In any event I must always continue to work. I needed to look for a shot that told the story of playing baseball with harsh weather. Light rain is not the easiest to photograph. It doesn't pick up well in digital photography. And when you have to shoot fast action behind it, the output is hard to manage. That day I was lucky enough to have game continue to play through the light rain. This gave me the chance to use the fans to my advantage. I am always looking at my backgrounds to assist the subject of the photo. I took the fans with their umbrellas and composed them behind a player. It is a simple shot with not a lot of action, but it gets the point across that the weather was cold and wet. I would have enjoyed a sliding play at home plate, but I'm not working for Getty quite yet. Besides it's too cold and wet to stay any longer than 3 innings. My hands were icicles out there.